Alleged NWest baby killer abandons bail
The woman is alleged to have boiled the baby in water.
RUSTENBURG, March 19 (ANA) – A 29-year-old mother accused of killing her newborn baby by boiling it in hot water abandoned her bail application at the Brits Magistrate’s Court on Friday, North West police said.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Amanda Funani said Tapiwa Kamwoto appeared briefly in court and told the court through her lawyer that she was not going to apply for bail. The case against her was postponed to May 14 for investigation.
She was arrested on Wednesday after the police dug out the body of a baby from a shallow grave in Sunway, about 20km outside Brits.
Funani said Kamwoto allegedly gave birth on March 12 at her residence in Sunway. She allegedly put the newborn baby in boiling water, wrapped the baby in plastic and buried it in a shallow grave.
She told a friend about the incident on the same day, but the friend only reported the the incident to the police on Wednesday.
The officers went to the scene and dug out the baby’s body in an open veld not far from her home.
Kamwoto was arrested and charged with murder.
Provincial commissioner of North West, Lieutenant-General Sello Kwena, applauded Kamwoto’s friend for speaking out and working with the police in ensuring that she was arrested for this crime.
He said community members must keep on co-operating with the police to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable in society.
– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher